US20020155023A1 - Foundry alloy - Google Patents

Foundry alloy Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20020155023A1
US20020155023A1 US09/355,987 US35598799A US2002155023A1 US 20020155023 A1 US20020155023 A1 US 20020155023A1 US 35598799 A US35598799 A US 35598799A US 2002155023 A1 US2002155023 A1 US 2002155023A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
phase
alloy
iron
casting
method defined
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US09/355,987
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Joseph Giovanni Barresi
Malcolm James Couper
David Henry St. John
Geoffrey Alan Edwards
Hao Wang
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of US20020155023A1 publication Critical patent/US20020155023A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
    • C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon
    • C22F1/043—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon of alloys with silicon as the next major constituent
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
    • C22C21/02—Alloys based on aluminium with silicon as the next major constituent

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an improved foundry alloy and to a method of producing an improved foundry alloy.
  • the improved foundry alloy is an aluminium-based alloy,
  • the main impurity found in these alloys is iron.
  • the iron solidifies from the eutectic liquid into a number of brittle phases.
  • the two major iron-containing phases found in these alloys are the ⁇ phase (Al 8 Si 6 Mg 3 Fe) which is the predominant phase formed in high Mg content alloys and the ⁇ phase (Al 5 SiFe) which forms in low magnesium content alloys.
  • the ⁇ phase forms into a script morphology while the ⁇ phase is less voluminous and forms into acicular plates. Both phases are detrimental to mechanical properties.
  • High Mg contents ie greater than 0.6 wt % Mg) are desirable to provide higher strength, but the presence of ⁇ phase at high Mg contents causes the ductility of the alloys to unfavourably decrease.
  • the magnesium content of an alloy increases the magnesium content of the ⁇ phase may change leading to even greater volume fractions of the phase for a given Fe content.
  • beryllium additions can be used to precipitate the iron impurity as part of the BeSiFe 2 Al 8 phase.
  • This beryllium-containing phase forms in preference to the ⁇ phase, leading to alloys with improved mechanical properties.
  • Unfortunately there are serious health hazards associated with using beryllium. Consequently, beryllium modification is not widely practised and the deleterious effect of the ⁇ phase on alloy quality remains.
  • this object is achieved by an alloy having a microstructure in which ⁇ phase that forms during heat treatment as a transformation product of ⁇ phase is the sole or predominant iron-containing phase.
  • the reduction in ⁇ phase results in an improvement in ductility.
  • the ⁇ phase that forms as the transformation product has a fine structure that improves ductility.
  • the reduction in ⁇ phase means that there are higher levels of Mg in solution which are available for precipitation during ageing to improve the strength of the alloy.
  • the present invention provides an alloy which comprises:
  • Fe up to 0.20 wt %
  • Mn up to 0.05 wt %
  • Mg 0.35 to 0.50 wt %
  • the other components comprise a total of not more than 0.15 wt % and any single component of the other components does not exceed 0.05 wt %, the alloy having a microstructure which includes a primary aluminium-containing matrix and one or more iron-containing phases dispersed in the matrix, and wherein the sole or predominant iron-containing phase is ⁇ phase that formed as a transformation product of ⁇ phase.
  • the dendrite arm spacing of the matrix be 10-45 ⁇ m.
  • the iron-containing phases also include ⁇ phase.
  • the iron-containing phases include ⁇ phase in an amount up to 30 vol % of the iron-containing phases.
  • the amount of ⁇ phase may be higher if the Mg content is in the upper end of the range.
  • the Mg content of the alloy is preferably 0.40-0.45 wt %. Within this Mg range, the alloy is a variant of the 601/603 type foundry alloy. It has been realised by the applicant that close control of the magnesium content to be between 0.40 and 0.45 wt % can lead to an increase in alloy quality and improved mechanical properties. In particular, when the magnesium content is controlled to be between 0.40 and 0.45 wt % the variation in alloy quality for a small change in magnesium level is minimal. Thus, the consistency in the mechanical properties of the alloy is maximised.
  • the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an alloy article.
  • the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an alloy article which comprises:
  • Fe up to 0.20 wt %
  • Mn up to 0.05 wt %
  • Balance Al and other components, the other components comprising a total of not more than 0.15 wt % and any single component of the other components not exceeding 0.05 wt %,
  • the cooling rate be sufficient to produce a dendrite arm spacing in the matrix in the casting of 10-45 ⁇ m.
  • the sole or predominant iron-containing phase in the alloy article is ⁇ phase.
  • the iron-containing phases also include ⁇ phase. More preferably, the iron-containing phases in the alloy article include ⁇ phase in an amount of up to 30 vol % of the iron-containing phases. Higher levels of ⁇ phase may be present if the Mg content is at the upper end of the above range.
  • the step of solidifying the casting produces iron-containing phases that include a substantial proportion of the ⁇ phase and the subsequent solution heat treatment step is effective to convert at least some and preferably a majority of the ⁇ phase to ⁇ phase to give a microstructure in the alloy article that includes iron-containing phases which are predominantly ⁇ phase.
  • the melt prior to casting may be at a temperature above the liquidus temperature of the alloy, with the melt having sufficient superheat to fill the mould, that is at a temperature of 680-720° C.
  • the solution treatment of the casting may be carried out at any suitable temperature and for any suitable time to achieve a desired level of transformation of ⁇ phase ⁇ phase.
  • the selection of the parameters of temperature and tine will depend on variables, such as the concentrations of magnesium and other elements in the casting.
  • the applicant has found that for castings having a Mg concentration of 0.5 wt %, solution treatment at 540° C. for 2 or more hours produced desired levels of transformation of ⁇ to ⁇ phase.
  • the casting is preferably quenched, more preferably quenched in hot water, such as hot water having a temperature of 70-80° C.
  • the alloy article After quenching, the alloy article is cooled to room temperature and optionally subjected to an ageing heat treatment.
  • the ageing heat treatment may include heating the alloy article to a temperature of 140-170° C. and holding at that temperature for 1-10 hours. After the ageing heat treatment, the alloy article may be air cooled to room temperature.
  • Results to support the present invention are given in FIG. 1, in which plots of typical response surfaces derived from experimentally determined quality index data are shown.
  • the three surfaces correspond to alloys that were cast at different solidification rates and thereafter solution treated and aged.
  • Solidification rate is commonly measured by the as-cast dendrite cell size or secondary dendrite arm spacing (DAS) but other methods exist.
  • DAS secondary dendrite arm spacing
  • the results here use secondary dendrite arm spacing to indicate solidification rate, with a small dendrite arm spacing corresponding to a high solidification rate.
  • FIG. 1 It can be seen from FIG. 1 that:
  • the magnesium level for the peak quality is independent of the iron level for the iron levels examined. Also, the rate of change of the response surfaces with magnesium is least near the peak in quality index. This means that the alloys at the peak are less sensitive to changes in magnesium than other alloys.
  • the peak quality from FIG. 1 corresponds well with microstructural evidence for small amounts of ⁇ phase in the alloy. By increasing the magnesium content of the alloy, it can be seen that in some circumstances improved quality results.
  • FIGS. 2 ( a ) to 2 ( c ) are photomicrographs of hypoeutectic alloys having a Si concentration of 7 wt % and various Mg concentrations which were cast at the same solidification rate (60 ⁇ m DAS), solution treated, and aged.
  • FIG. 2 ( d ) is a photomicrograph of the as-cast alloy of FIG. 2( c ), ie before heat treatment.
  • the Mg content of the alloy is higher than the Mg content of the alloy of the present invention.
  • the main phases shown in FIG. 2( a ) are spheroidal silicon-containing phase and the iron-containing ⁇ phase.
  • FIG. 2( b ) shows the microstructure of an alloy containing less Mg than the alloy of the present invention.
  • the phases present include spheroidal silicon-containing phase and iron-containing ⁇ phase.
  • the ⁇ phase is present as structures of high aspect ratio dispersed throughout the matrix.
  • FIG. 2( c ) shows the microstructure of an alloy of the present invention.
  • the phases include spheroidal silicon-containing phases, a small amount of ⁇ phase an ⁇ phase.
  • the ⁇ phase is present as structures of high aspect ratio clumped together. This is consistent with the ⁇ phase being formed by transformation of ⁇ phase during heat treatment.
  • FIG. 2( d ) shows that prior to heat treatment the as-cast alloy of FIG. 2( c ) had regions of ⁇ phase. As is evident from FIG. 2( c ) these ⁇ phase regions were largely transformed to ⁇ phase during heat treatment.
  • the drive for alloys with improved mechanical properties stems from the major restraint that mechanical properties place on the design of the casting, or even if a cast alloy can be used to manufacture a certain component.
  • the thickness of critical sections needs to be sufficiently large that the cast component can operate without failure. Mechanical properties of the alloys therefore limit the minimum weight of a cast component.
  • the thickness of sections of a casting will determine the time required for the casting to solidify. For certain casting methods, such as low pressure die casting, the production rate is often determined by the solidification rate as the casting machine is tied up until the casting has fully solidified.
  • the solution treatment, quench rate and ageing treatment of a cast component may be tailored to its design so as not to induce unnecessarily high residual stresses. High residual stresses can cause distortion of the component requiring additional machining.
  • the mechanical properties of the base alloy therefore affect all stages of manufacturing from design, to casting the component, heat treatment, machining, final weight and production rate.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Continuous Casting (AREA)
  • Refinement Of Pig-Iron, Manufacture Of Cast Iron, And Steel Manufacture Other Than In Revolving Furnaces (AREA)
  • Forging (AREA)
US09/355,987 1997-02-24 1998-02-24 Foundry alloy Abandoned US20020155023A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPO5268A AUPO526897A0 (en) 1997-02-24 1997-02-24 Improved foundry alloy
AUP05268 1997-02-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20020155023A1 true US20020155023A1 (en) 2002-10-24

Family

ID=3799571

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/355,987 Abandoned US20020155023A1 (en) 1997-02-24 1998-02-24 Foundry alloy

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US20020155023A1 (enExample)
JP (1) JP2001513145A (enExample)
KR (1) KR100498002B1 (enExample)
AU (1) AUPO526897A0 (enExample)
NZ (1) NZ337431A (enExample)
WO (1) WO1998038347A1 (enExample)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050191204A1 (en) * 2004-01-30 2005-09-01 Lin Jen C. Aluminum alloy for producing high performance shaped castings
US8083871B2 (en) 2005-10-28 2011-12-27 Automotive Casting Technology, Inc. High crashworthiness Al-Si-Mg alloy and methods for producing automotive casting
DE102011112005A1 (de) * 2011-08-29 2013-02-28 Audi Ag Aluminium-Silizium-Legierung
AT14019U1 (de) * 2014-02-14 2015-02-15 Amag Casting Gmbh Gusslegierung
CN105401013A (zh) * 2015-11-10 2016-03-16 苏州三基铸造装备股份有限公司 汽车结构件铸造铝合金及其制备方法
US11198925B2 (en) 2016-03-31 2021-12-14 Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited Aluminum alloys having improved tensile properties
US11584977B2 (en) 2015-08-13 2023-02-21 Alcoa Usa Corp. 3XX aluminum casting alloys, and methods for making the same
CN117089786A (zh) * 2023-09-15 2023-11-21 河南正旭科技股份有限公司 一种石膏型熔模精铸zl114a铝合金热处理工艺

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7712222B2 (en) 2001-07-26 2010-05-11 Irwin Industrial Tool Company Composite utility blade, and method of making such a blade
US9770788B2 (en) 2010-02-10 2017-09-26 Hobart Brothers Company Aluminum alloy welding wire
CN111872598A (zh) 2010-02-10 2020-11-03 霍伯特兄弟有限责任公司 铝合金焊丝
US10654135B2 (en) 2010-02-10 2020-05-19 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Aluminum alloy welding wire
US10850356B2 (en) 2015-02-25 2020-12-01 Hobart Brothers Llc Aluminum metal-cored welding wire
US11370068B2 (en) 2015-02-25 2022-06-28 Hobart Brothers Llc Systems and methods for additive manufacturing using aluminum metal-cored wire

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5536337A (en) * 1992-02-27 1996-07-16 Hayes Wheels International, Inc. Method for heat treating a metal component

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1529305A (en) * 1974-11-15 1978-10-18 Alcan Res & Dev Method of producing metal alloy products
FR2388892A1 (fr) * 1977-04-26 1978-11-24 Messier Sa Bains de trempe pour pieces coulees en alliages de magnesium et/ou d'aluminium
US4146163A (en) * 1977-11-09 1979-03-27 Aluminum Company Of America Production of aluminum brazing sheet

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5536337A (en) * 1992-02-27 1996-07-16 Hayes Wheels International, Inc. Method for heat treating a metal component

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050191204A1 (en) * 2004-01-30 2005-09-01 Lin Jen C. Aluminum alloy for producing high performance shaped castings
US7087125B2 (en) * 2004-01-30 2006-08-08 Alcoa Inc. Aluminum alloy for producing high performance shaped castings
US8083871B2 (en) 2005-10-28 2011-12-27 Automotive Casting Technology, Inc. High crashworthiness Al-Si-Mg alloy and methods for producing automotive casting
US8721811B2 (en) 2005-10-28 2014-05-13 Automotive Casting Technology, Inc. Method of creating a cast automotive product having an improved critical fracture strain
US9353430B2 (en) 2005-10-28 2016-05-31 Shipston Aluminum Technologies (Michigan), Inc. Lightweight, crash-sensitive automotive component
DE102011112005A1 (de) * 2011-08-29 2013-02-28 Audi Ag Aluminium-Silizium-Legierung
AT14019U1 (de) * 2014-02-14 2015-02-15 Amag Casting Gmbh Gusslegierung
US11584977B2 (en) 2015-08-13 2023-02-21 Alcoa Usa Corp. 3XX aluminum casting alloys, and methods for making the same
CN105401013A (zh) * 2015-11-10 2016-03-16 苏州三基铸造装备股份有限公司 汽车结构件铸造铝合金及其制备方法
US11198925B2 (en) 2016-03-31 2021-12-14 Rio Tinto Alcan International Limited Aluminum alloys having improved tensile properties
CN117089786A (zh) * 2023-09-15 2023-11-21 河南正旭科技股份有限公司 一种石膏型熔模精铸zl114a铝合金热处理工艺

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NZ337431A (en) 2000-01-28
JP2001513145A (ja) 2001-08-28
WO1998038347A1 (en) 1998-09-03
KR20000075659A (ko) 2000-12-26
KR100498002B1 (ko) 2005-07-01
AUPO526897A0 (en) 1997-03-20

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
JP3255560B2 (ja) ダイカスト合金およびダイカスト品
US10612116B2 (en) Increasing strength of an aluminum alloy
US20100288401A1 (en) Aluminum casting alloy
CN111032897A (zh) 形成铸造铝合金的方法
EP1882754B1 (en) Aluminium alloy
US20020155023A1 (en) Foundry alloy
US20040045638A1 (en) Safety component moulded in a1-si alloy
US10260136B2 (en) Aluminum alloy for die casting and method of heat treating the same
WO2013144343A1 (en) Alloy and method of production thereof
JPH0372147B2 (enExample)
CN108251714A (zh) 一种挤压铸造高强韧铝合金及其挤压铸造方法
JP2001073056A (ja) 衝撃破壊強度に優れたアルミニウム合金鋳造材およびその製造方法
JPH0762479A (ja) 高靱性、高強度アルミニウム合金鋳物
EP1882753A1 (en) Aluminium alloy
JPH11286758A (ja) アルミ鋳造材を用いた鍛造製品の製造方法
US20050238529A1 (en) Heat treatable Al-Zn-Mg alloy for aerospace and automotive castings
US20050161128A1 (en) Aluminum alloy
CA2371318C (en) Aimgsi casting alloy
AU745375B2 (en) Foundry alloy
KR100703130B1 (ko) 비열처리형 고연성 알루미늄 주조합금 및 그 제조방법
US3297435A (en) Production of heat-treatable aluminum casting alloy
EP3381586B1 (en) Method for low pressure permanent mold without a coating
KR101807799B1 (ko) Al-Si계 주조재 합금 및 그 제조방법
JP7749260B1 (ja) アルミニウム合金、アルミニウム合金凝固部材及びその製造方法
JP2004124181A (ja) 熱処理用高力アルミニウムダイカスト合金材料

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION